Tips and Hints for Star Gazers

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Tips and Hints for Star Gazers

There are three important factors to consider before you begin star gazing.

1- Weather Conditions

2- Personal Comfort

3 Equipment and accessories

Weather conditions are of course extremely important. The night sky must be free of clouds and disturbances. The phase of the moon is also a factor. If the moon is full or near full it will wash out a good portion of the sky making is impossible to see most of the stars. Only a few of the brightest stars will be available to see.

So unless you are observing the moon itself you should do your stargazing only when there is no moon or just a small sliver of moon illuminated.

Light pollution is also a factor. you should choose a location that is as far as possible from light sources such as street lamps. If you cannot remove yourself from the area of bright lights you should try to choose a location that places a tree or a building between you and the lights. This acts as a screen. Sky conditions in the suburbs or country will inevitably be better because there will be much less light pollution.

Your Personal comfort

Your personal comfort is extremely important when star gazing. In the winter months you should dress extremely warm and bring along warm drinks in a thermos. Lounge chairs that recline are also recommended to avoid standing and craning your neck for long periods of time,. You can even lay a blanket down on the ground if you desire.

And you should take care to protect your eyes from any bright lights. You have to wait several minutes in the dark so your eyes can adjust as your pupils slowly open up to receive a maximum amount of light. You can help this by closing your eyes for several minutes. If you should look toward a bright light such as from a street light or a car your night vision will be ruined and you will have to wait several more minutes for them to re-adjust.

Accessories And equipment

Be sure to bring along your star maps. And in order to read them easily in the dark you may want to bring along a flashlight. You should first prepare the flashlight by covering the lens with red cellophane or any other type of transparent red material. The bright white light of a flashlight can ruin your night vision so always cover your flashlight.

You will need to determine which direction is north. If you do not already know which way is north you can bring along a compass or road map. If you do not have any of these options you should be able to find north simply by using the constellations just like the ancient sailors did.

Checklist for Star gazing:

Is the sky clear and cloud free?
Have you found a dark spot shielded from bright lights?
Are you dressed appropriately for the weather?
Do you have your star maps and accessories?
Is your flashlight lens covered with a red material?
Will you bring lounge chairs or blankets?

Continue on to Stars and Constellations

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